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WWE: What Should They Do With… EC3

We’re approaching the time of the year in wrestling, where the WWE rosters begin to change. Between call-ups, releases, and the inevitable roster shakeups it’s always fun to see who goes where. This year, the rumored call-ups from NXT include the Iconic Duo, No Way Jose, Aleister Black, and the Authors of Pain.

Depending on how well they recover from injuries, Drew McIntyre and Tomasso Ciampa could very easily join that list, which would leave quite a gap in NXT. While there are some on the roster that has the potential to fill in those gaps, this is going to be the first in a series of potential signings, and what WWE should do with them.

One of the big names being thrown around is Ethan Carter III, better known as EC3. While he once wrestled under the name Derrick Bateman, in his first WWE run which was less than memorable. He competed on one and a half seasons of NXT, failing to ever gain traction before being released in mid-2013. He signed with TNA soon after that, which is where he was able to develop into the star he is known as today. He thrived in the main event scene, winning the TNA Heavyweight Championship twice, and the Impact Grand Championship once.

His time away from WWE seemed to have been just what he needed, as all signs are pointing to him making a return. He is in the prime of his career, and with the uncertainty of IMPACT, it would make the most sense for him.

The biggest question though, is what WWE will do with him? Will they choose to ignore his past in NXT as they have with Bray Wyatt? Or, will they attempt to let him pick up where he left off, ala Kassius Ohno?

Considering the disaster that was Derrick Bateman, and the success of signings like Eric Young, Bobby Fish, and Adam Cole it would seem like the best idea would be to let him roll with his EC3 name. He has wrestled in multiple other promotions under that name, and it would be the most recognizable. Starting him on NXT would be an almost no-brainer, and would work well into the cocky persona he has carved out for himself. Giving him some easy wins against lesser-known enhancement talents would allow him to quickly establish himself without it feeling too forced, and letting him pick up a hard fought win against an Oney Lorcan or Christopher Dijak would give him that authenticity of a potential star.

Once the crowd has warmed up to him, a feud with the likes of Roderick Strong would do wonders for both. Right now, Strong seems to have been lost in the shuffle following his amazing showing at NXT War Games, and this would give him the high profile feud he needs to reestablish momentum.

They would be battles, with even the loser coming out looking stronger than when they went in. If handled correctly, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see EC3 on the main roster by this time next year, giving Carter the chance to shine on the biggest stage of them all. While I don’t see him being a main event kind of guy, he would work wonders on the mid-card.

Just imagine the promos between him and the Miz? Or the matches he could put on against Jason Jordan? Perhaps a tag team with the likes of Dolph Ziggler could be in the cards. The possibilities are endless, and I know I can’t wait to see what they do with the once and former Derrick Bateman.